光腔内一维扩展玻色-哈伯德模型的量子相变

光晶格为研究冷原子提供了一个非常纯净并且容易调节的实验平台.在光腔内的光晶格中载入冷原子,可以引入光子原子之间的耦合相互作用,有助于人们研究超辐射转变以及超流和超固体等量子相.除了最近邻格点之间原子排斥相互作用有助于形成超固体以外,原子光子耦合系数的正负符号随位置交替变化也有助于形成超固体.本文将这两种相互作用都考虑进光腔中扩展玻色-哈伯德模型,通过测量原子密度、光子密度、超流序参量、固体序参量和超固体序参量,用平均场方法得到系统的基态相图,发现与硬核系统相比,软核系统的超固体范围更大更容易被发现.此研究结果有助于指导光腔中冷原子实验寻找新的量子相.     

任意子在一维光晶格上的超固体相

任意子是一种具有统计性质介于玻色子和费米子之间的粒子,光晶格上的任意子哈伯德模型具有丰富的量子相,比如动量分布非对称的超流相和配对超流相。文章考虑了任意子之间的排斥相互作用,运用平均场理论研究一维光晶格上的扩展任意子哈伯德模型,给出了系统经典极限相图,以及改变任意子系统相位因子时超固体在参数空间的分布。运用密度矩阵重整化群方法,计算了结构因子和动量随密度和波矢k变化的分布图,发现两者在某些区间同时具有尖峰,表明系统有超固体。此外,计算了不同密度下尺寸为16,24和48的结构因子并对其进行有限尺寸标度,发现在热力学极限下超固体相仍然存在。     

腔中超冷玻色气体的扩展哈伯德模型

最近的实验中,ETH小组成功地将玻色气体载入置于腔中的光晶格中,从而在实验上实现了带有长程相互作用的扩展哈伯德模型。文章基于自洽平均场和微扰法,分析了扩展哈伯德模型的量子相变。基态相图展示了带有CDW态的有趣图案。计算了Mott绝缘相到超流相的临界跃迁振幅和超流相到正常流体的临界温度。进一步研究了在固定化学势(μ=0.5)下超流的热力学性质,其显示了有限温下不同长程相互作用强度对体系的影响。     

一维准无序光晶格中硬核玻色气体的量子相变

文章研究处于一维准无序光晶格中的超冷玻色气体,主要研究非对角无序强度对强排斥相互作用极限下即硬核玻色气体的基态性质的影响。基于非对角Aubry-André模型,采用严格的数值计算方法,给出了硬核玻色气体的多体基态波函数。超流因子的计算结果表明,随着无序强度的增加,系统基态会发生从超流态到玻色玻璃相的量子相变。此外,计算了单粒子密度矩阵、自然轨道及其占据等物理量来进一步刻画系统基态量子相的性质。     

具有局域E2对称性的推广玻色-哈巴德模型

利用局域的E2生成元构造了一种具有准严格解的推广玻色-哈巴德模型.与原来的玻色-哈巴德模型类似,推广玻色-哈巴德模型可用于描述格点玻色系统从超流相到Mott绝缘相的量子相变.介绍了模型的准严格解及其显著特点,给出了一维推广玻色-哈巴德模型填充数ρ=1时的相图,并计算了N=M=14时体系的基态纠缠度随控制参量的变化特征.     

玻色-哈伯德模型的亚稳态及其经典-量子相变

玻色-哈伯德模型是建立在硬壳相互作用基础上的模型,被广泛应用在强关联的玻色系统中,非常适合用来研究囚禁在势阱中的玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚体本征态和动力学性质,是一个很重要的模型。文章利用等效势的方法发现了玻色-哈伯德模型的一个重要的亚稳态,并且研究了该亚稳态的经典-量子相变的阶和临界的温度。     

液4He在Tλ的玻色凝聚及其奇异性质

液态4He在Tλ=2.17 K时发生相变,由HeⅠ相进入HeⅡ相,表现出"超流"等奇特性质."超流"现象从本质上是一种量子效应--玻色凝聚,可以用玻色凝聚的统计力学理论以及"二流体模型"予以解释.     

在玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚态中类Dicke模型的相变

自旋和轨道耦合为中性的超冷原子在玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚态(BEC)中的玻色系统提供了研究的机会.文章研究此类系统的相变和基态性质.首先将它映射到著名的量子光学中的Dicke模型,Dicke模型描述了一个原子系综和单模光场之间的相互作用.Dicke模型的中心问题是预测了超辐射相和一个正常相之间的量子相变.我们研究在自旋和轨道耦合中的类似Dicke模型的量子相变.采用平均场自旋相干态法,特别是考虑原子之间的相互作用,计算出描述系统的相变点和基态性质的物理量如平均光子数,平均基态能量、两种自旋激化等物理量的解析表达式,得到在相变前后物理量变化的趋势图并与实验结果相比较.     

液4He在Tλ的玻色凝聚及其奇异性质

液态^4He在Tλ=2．17K时发生相变，由HeⅠ相进入HeⅡ相，表现出“超流”等奇特性质。“超流”现象从本质上是一种量子效应——玻色凝聚，可以用玻色凝聚的统计力学理论以及“二流体模型”予以解释。     

玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚中的色散关系

超流性是玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚宏观量子效应的重要体现,分别用运动方程法和哈密顿量对角化方法,通过傅里叶变换导出了玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚超流体的色散关系,并给出了凝聚体中声子速度的表达式.结果表明,在长波极限下,色散关系与波数近似成线性关系.     

Phase-slip-induced dissipation in an atomic Bose-Hubbard system

Phase-slips control dissipation in many bosonic systems, determining the critical velocity of superfluid helium and the generation of resistance in thin superconducting wires. Technological interest has been largely motivated by applications involving nanoscale superconducting circuit elements, such as standards based on quantum phase-slip junctions. Although phase slips caused by thermal fluctuations at high temperatures are well understood, controversy remains over the role of phase slips in small-scale superconductors--in solids, problems such as uncontrolled noise sources and disorder complicate their study and application. Here we show that phase slips can lead to dissipation in a clean and well-characterized Bose-Hubbard system, by experimentally studying the transport of ultracold atoms trapped in an optical lattice. In contrast to previous work, we explore a low-velocity regime described by the three-dimensional Bose-Hubbard model that is unaffected by instabilities, and we measure the effect of temperature on the dissipation strength. The damping rate of atomic motion (the analogue of electrical resistance in a solid) in the confining parabolic potential is well fitted by a model that includes finite damping at zero temperature. The low-temperature behaviour is consistent with the theory of quantum tunnelling of phase slips, whereas at higher temperatures a crossover consistent with a transition to thermal activation of phase slips is evident. Motion-induced features reminiscent of vortices and vortex rings associated with phase slips are also observed in time-of-flight imaging. These results clarify the role of phase slips in superfluid systems. They may also be of relevance in understanding the source of metallic phases observed in thin films, or serve as a test bed for theories of bosonic dissipation based upon variants of the Bose-Hubbard model.     

Strong dipolar effects in a quantum ferrofluid

Symmetry-breaking interactions have a crucial role in many areas of physics, ranging from classical ferrofluids to superfluid (3)He and d-wave superconductivity. For superfluid quantum gases, a variety of new physical phenomena arising from the symmetry-breaking interaction between electric or magnetic dipoles are expected. Novel quantum phases in optical lattices, such as chequerboard or supersolid phases, are predicted for dipolar bosons. Dipolar interactions can also enrich considerably the physics of quantum gases with internal degrees of freedom. Arrays of dipolar particles could be used for efficient quantum information processing. Here we report the realization of a chromium Bose-Einstein condensate with strong dipolar interactions. By using a Feshbach resonance, we reduce the usual isotropic contact interaction, such that the anisotropic magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between 52Cr atoms becomes comparable in strength. This induces a change of the aspect ratio of the atom cloud; for strong dipolar interactions, the inversion of ellipticity during expansion (the usual 'smoking gun' evidence for a Bose-Einstein condensate) can be suppressed. These effects are accounted for by taking into account the dipolar interaction in the superfluid hydrodynamic equations governing the dynamics of the gas, in the same way as classical ferrofluids can be described by including dipolar terms in the classical hydrodynamic equations. Our results are a first step in the exploration of the unique properties of quantum ferrofluids.     

Probable heat capacity signature of the supersolid transition

Liquid 4He enters the superfluid state and flows without friction below 2.176 K. Thin liquid films adsorbed on solid substrates undergo the same transformation, although at a lower temperature. When the substrate is subjected to oscillatory motion a portion of the film, known as the superfluid fraction, decouples from the oscillation. A similar phenomenon has been observed in solid 4He, in which a fraction of the solid seems to decouple from the motion of the surrounding lattice. Although this observation has been replicated in various laboratories, no thermodynamic signature of the possible supersolid transition has been seen. Here we report the finding of a heat capacity peak that coincides with the onset of mass decoupling. This complementary experimental evidence supports the existence of a genuine transition between the normal solid and supersolid phases of 4He.     

Minority spin condensate in the spin-polarized superfluid 3He A1 phase

The magnetic properties of (3)He in its various phases originate from the interactions among the nuclear spins. The spin-polarized 'ferromagnetic' superfluid (3)He A(1) phase (which forms below 3 mK between two transition temperatures, T(c1) and T(c2), in an external magnetic field) serves as a material in which theories of fundamental magnetic processes and macroscopic quantum spin phenomena may be tested. Conventionally, the superfluid component of the A(1) phase is understood to contain only the majority spin condensate, having energetically favoured paired spins directed along the external field and no minority spin condensate having paired spins in the opposite direction. Because of difficulties in satisfying both the ultralow temperature and high magnetic field required to produce a substantial phase space, there exist few studies of spin dynamics phenomena that could be used to test the conventional view of the A(1) phase. Here we develop a mechanical spin density detector that operates in the required regime, enabling us to perform measurements of spin relaxation in the A(1) phase as a function of temperature, pressure and magnetic field. Our mechanical spin detector is based in principle on the magnetic fountain effect; spin-polarized superfluid motion can be induced both magnetically and mechanically, and we demonstrate the feasibility of increasing spin polarization by a mechanical spin filtering process. In the high temperature range of the A(1) phase near T(c1), the measured spin relaxation time is long, as expected. Unexpectedly, the spin relaxation rate increases rapidly as the temperature is decreased towards T(c2). Our measurements, together with Leggett-Takagi theory, demonstrate that a minute presence of minority spin pairs is responsible for this unexpected spin relaxation behaviour. Thus, the long-held conventional view that the A(1) phase contains only the majority spin condensate is inadequate.     

Probable observation of a supersolid helium phase

When liquid (4)He is cooled below 2.176 K, it undergoes a phase transition-Bose-Einstein condensation-and becomes a superfluid with zero viscosity. Once in such a state, it can flow without dissipation even through pores of atomic dimensions. Although it is intuitive to associate superflow only with the liquid phase, it has been proposed theoretically that superflow can also occur in the solid phase of (4)He. Owing to quantum mechanical fluctuations, delocalized vacancies and defects are expected to be present in crystalline solid (4)He, even in the limit of zero temperature. These zero-point vacancies can in principle allow the appearance of superfluidity in the solid. However, in spite of many attempts, such a 'supersolid' phase has yet to be observed in bulk solid (4)He. Here we report torsional oscillator measurements on solid helium confined in a porous medium, a configuration that is likely to be more heavily populated with vacancies than bulk helium. We find an abrupt drop in the rotational inertia of the confined solid below a certain critical temperature. The most likely interpretation of the inertia drop is entry into the supersolid phase. If confirmed, our results show that all three states of matter-gas, liquid and solid-can undergo Bose-Einstein condensation.     

超晶格量子阱中束缚态的能级结构

超晶格是指由两种不同晶体材料交替生长的具有周期性结构的多层薄膜,两种材料的"势垒-势阱"结构就是量子阱.通过使用理想的无限深势阱模型和三角势阱模型,讨论了超晶格中单量子阱束缚态的能级结构和态密度,得到了体系的本征能量与本征函数的表达式.沿超晶格生长方向能量量子化,量子化能量构成了一系列子能带(微带),体系电子态密度与能量无关.     

Coherent zero-state and pi-state in an exciton-polariton condensate array

The effect of quantum statistics in quantum gases and liquids results in observable collective properties among many-particle systems. One prime example is Bose-Einstein condensation, whose onset in a quantum liquid leads to phenomena such as superfluidity and superconductivity. A Bose-Einstein condensate is generally defined as a macroscopic occupation of a single-particle quantum state, a phenomenon technically referred to as off-diagonal long-range order due to non-vanishing off-diagonal components of the single-particle density matrix. The wavefunction of the condensate is an order parameter whose phase is essential in characterizing the coherence and superfluid phenomena. The long-range spatial coherence leads to the existence of phase-locked multiple condensates in an array of superfluid helium, superconducting Josephson junctions or atomic Bose-Einstein condensates. Under certain circumstances, a quantum phase difference of pi is predicted to develop among weakly coupled Josephson junctions. Such a meta-stable pi-state was discovered in a weak link of superfluid 3He, which is characterized by a 'p-wave' order parameter. The possible existence of such a pi-state in weakly coupled atomic Bose-Einstein condensates has also been proposed, but remains undiscovered. Here we report the observation of spontaneous build-up of in-phase ('zero-state') and antiphase ('pi-state') 'superfluid' states in a solid-state system; an array of exciton-polariton condensates connected by weak periodic potential barriers within a semiconductor microcavity. These in-phase and antiphase states reflect the band structure of the one-dimensional polariton array and the dynamic characteristics of metastable exciton-polariton condensates.     

One-dimensional nature of the magnetic fluctuations in YBa2Cu3O6.6

There is increasing evidence that inhomogeneous distributions of charge and spin--so-called 'striped phases'--play an important role in determining the properties of the high-temperature superconductors. For example, recent neutron-scattering measurements on the YBa2Cu3O(7-x) family of materials show both spin and charge fluctuations that are consistent with the striped-phase picture. But the fluctuations associated with a striped phase are expected to be one-dimensional, whereas the magnetic fluctuations observed to date appear to display two-dimensional symmetry. We show here that this apparent two-dimensionality results from measurements on twinned crystals, and that similar measurements on substantially detwinned crystals of YBa2Cu3O6.6 reveal the one-dimensional character of the magnetic fluctuations, thus greatly strengthening the striped-phase interpretation. Moreover, our results also suggest that superconductivity originates in charge stripes that extend along the b crystal axis, where the superfluid density is found to be substantially larger than for the a direction.     

Quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a Mott insulator in a gas of ultracold atoms.

For a system at a temperature of absolute zero, all thermal fluctuations are frozen out, while quantum fluctuations prevail. These microscopic quantum fluctuations can induce a macroscopic phase transition in the ground state of a many-body system when the relative strength of two competing energy terms is varied across a critical value. Here we observe such a quantum phase transition in a Bose-Einstein condensate with repulsive interactions, held in a three-dimensional optical lattice potential. As the potential depth of the lattice is increased, a transition is observed from a superfluid to a Mott insulator phase. In the superfluid phase, each atom is spread out over the entire lattice, with long-range phase coherence. But in the insulating phase, exact numbers of atoms are localized at individual lattice sites, with no phase coherence across the lattice; this phase is characterized by a gap in the excitation spectrum. We can induce reversible changes between the two ground states of the system.     

光晶格中多体极化子在Mott绝缘体区域的量子相

极化子是在玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚(BEC)背景下,光晶格中的玻色子与BEC声子库耦合形成的一种准粒子。通过Lang-Firsov变换得到极化子体系的有效哈密顿量,其形式为拓展的玻色-哈伯德模型。在Mott绝缘体区域,通过直接求解体系的哈密顿量得到了单组份极化子在填充数分别为1/2和1/4时的量子相;通过Hartree-Fock近似,进一步得到了双组份极化子在填充数分别为1/2和1/4时体系的量子相。研究预测了单组份和双组份极化子体系可能存在的非平庸量子相。